Sotheby’s to Auction 1776 Copy of the Declaration of Independence

An exceedingly rare printing of the Declaration of Independence is coming to #SothebysNewYork: The July 1776 Essex Broadside.

Sotheby’s New York announcing the auction of a copy of the Declaration of Independence.

Why It Matters: A rare printing of the Declaration of Independence from July 1776 is set to be auctioned at Sotheby’s New York. This version, known as the Essex Broadside, is one of the earliest and most sought-after printings of the historic document. The printing is attributed to Robert Luist Fowle, who worked for the New Hampshire Gazette and Exeter Morning Chronicle.

Originally, 13 broadside versions of the Declaration were printed in newspapers in July and August of 1776 to spread news of America’s independence after the signing of the Declaration. This specific copy is the Goodspeed’s-Sang-Streeter copy and is one of only 10 original broadsides known to survive today. Among the 10, only two copies of the Essex Broadside have appeared at auction in more than a century.

The Essex Broadside will be sold in a standalone auction during the Sotheby’s “Visions of America” week, and has an estimated price between $2 million and $4 million.

What’s a Broadside? According the Library of Congress, broadsides are “single sheets of paper, printed on one side only.” They have been a useful tool for centuries for printing and disseminating information quickly to the public.

Read More: Sotheby’s 1776 Essex Broadside Set to Appear in Auction (Southeby’s)

History of the Broadside Versions (Harvard)

Photo Credit: Sotheby’s